Dio Returns! But not quite in the way you might expect. If you’re in the loop with the metal world, the fact that Ronnie James Dio has been touring in hologram form is probably not news to you. In fact, the projection made its on stage debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2016 – but the touring officially took off in Europe in 2018, with 2019 marking the official U.S. debut of Eyellusion’s unique creation. There have been many reactions to the news since it took to the road – some negative, some positive – but no matter what, this concept has people talking worldwide. 

To say I’m a fan of Dio would be an understatement, since the music of Ronnie James Dio, from Rainbow and Black Sabbath, to his namesake band, comprises and represents so much of the classic heavy metal world for me, in all of the spirit and energy infused into a quintessential sound and image. Even so, I never had the opportunity to see the late great icon while he still graced us all with his powerful presence in this world, making the chance to experience and take in some element of his legacy in real life all the more appealing. I was excited but with reservations at first – while I wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of the Dio hologram when I first heard of it, I did have a few hesitations and curiosities, just wondering what watching a simulated smoke-and-mirrors image of a musician I admire so highly would even feel like. The moment Craig Goldy (guitar), Bjorn Englen (bass), Simon Wright (drums), and Scott Warren (keys) took up their respective instruments, the stage lit up, and “Dio” appeared in his own place center stage at The Paramount in Huntington, NY on June 9th, 2019, my questions were answered. 

Following a dynamic opening show from Love/Hate (who opened for Dio on an arena tour in their early years!), “King of Rock And Roll” opened the Dio Returns set, showcasing the hologram in its full glory right off the bat, with the accompanying talents of the live band that not only shares the same members as Dio Disciples, but consists mostly of musicians who personally shared the stage with the real Dio in his time. Although I’ve unfortunately never seen Dio in person, and all that I know of him has come from video/audio recordings and photographs, I could still recognize that his mannerisms and stage movements were pinpointed to a tee with this hologram, with an energy and vibrancy that could even be deceiving at certain moments, looking at it from just the right angle. The show’s setlist managed just the right balance between projected images and real-life performers, as Tim “Ripper” Owens and Oni Logan each joined the band, replacing “Dio” intermittently for a good portion of the songs in the set, and rounding out the full lineup of Dio Disciples in the process. “Dio” was mostly present to sing the biggest and most well-known hits from his discography, with go-to tracks like “Holy Diver”, “The Last In Line”, “Man On The Silver Mountain”, “Heaven and Hell”, and “Rainbow In The Dark”. Meanwhile, Tim and Oni sprinkled in other well-loved tracks by covering “Don’t Talk To Strangers”, “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”, “The Mob Rules”, “Children of the Sea”, and more, including a Rainbow medley in the form of “Catch The Rainbow” and “Stargazer”. 

I did appreciate that, while playing with methods of on-stage interactions with “Dio”, the band didn’t try to act entirely as though it wasn’t a hologram at all – at times, it felt like there was a degree of acknowledgement of its illusion (or should I say, Eyellusion?), not to mention the fact that “Dio”’s manner of entering and exiting the stage was not by walking on and off, but materializing out of thin air like an apparition – nonetheless, they had clever approaches to showing dimension and bringing the image to life. The use of platforms added to that sense of dimension and perspective, putting the band on the same visual plane and level on stage when “Dio” performed, yet providing the freedom of movement for Craig and Bjorn to step down off those platforms whenever Tim and/or Oni came out on stage, putting them on the same “real-life” plane with the singers, as opposed to up in the hologram space with “Dio”. A simple concept based solely on where the performers stand (literally), but perfectly effective. 

The lines of reality especially blurred during a strong performance of “We Rock”, then the encore of “Neon Knights”, when the entire band including both Tim and Oni, plus their special guest David Feinstein, all joined “Dio” on stage. David Feinstein may have a long ongoing run in The Rods, but he has his fair share of history playing in bands with his cousin – that would be Ronnie James Dio, of course. Amidst Feinstein’s early musical career is a bout with Ronnie Dio and the Prophets, a band which would later become Elf (a frequent opening act for Deep Purple in the mid-70’s), before this band eventually dissolved as it gradually transformed into the early makings of Rainbow, and David went on to form The Rods. Feinstein’s early music career is inherently tied in with that of Ronnie James Dio’s, not to mention the personal relation and all, making his appearance at this show all the more meaningful. In that moment, all of the live band members’ energy bounced off one another, and when combined with their interactions with “Dio”, he truly felt real and alive in that very moment, making for quite an emotional experience and close to the show. 

For those who knew him or saw him live, this stage portrayal of Dio will bring back memories – a sense of nostalgia for when the real man himself was alive and performing around the world. For others, like myself, it gives a taste of what it might have been like, and brings the music to life in a new way. Even if you’re among those with a distaste for the idea of a witnessing a hologram musician performing on stage, I would absolutely recommend giving this Dio Returns tour a chance – not only does it offer a memorable theatrical show to take in, but it brings back a touch of the magic of Dio to the world in a unique way. All the appeal of a live concert experience is still there, with the living breathing band members’ energy present for the audience to bounce off of, and to celebrate the life of Ronnie James Dio together with those who were close to him. With his music and image still shining brightly like a Rainbow In The Dark, Dio Returns shows that in one form or another, Ronnie James Dio’s incomparable voice still “sails on”, to “sing a song and carry on”, and keep his legacy alive.

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[All concert photos ©Metal Magnitude 2019. Please do not copy or use without permission.]

To learn more about the Dio hologram, visit: http://eyellusionlive.com, or the official Eyellusion Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.